The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-28
WHAT DEMOCRACY DOES.

WHAT DEMOCRACY DOES.
The time has come when every citizen of
Indiana who has the welfare and honor of the
State at heart should unite in an effort to
rescue it permanently from Democratic con-
troll. Indiana is great State in resources
and possibilities The statistics of population
and wealth show that she stands fifth in the
list Of States. She might stand third Ohio,
on the east, and Illinois, on the west, are both
ahead of her. She ought to be ahead of both,
and probably would be but for the Democratic
party The strong foothold which that party
has had in the State, acquired originally by
Southern immigration and maintained BY
trickery and fraud has been great drawback
to it. It has given the State bad name, kept
capital and enterprise out of it, and retarded
its material and moral growth. The progress
the State has made has been in spite of
Democracy, and would have been much
greater but for that party. They have injured
and disgraced the State in many ways No
true son Of Indiana can ever forget the injury
they inflicted during the war. Prior to that
time the term s.Hoosier" was one of derision,
and the Democracy did what they could to
make it one of disgrace. Perhaps not inten-
tionally, but inevitably. It is possible the
Democratic party would not disgrace tho State
If it could avoid doing so, but parties, like
hot NH; o1, -,
Morton's administration lifted the State out
OF the Democratic slough and gave it honora-
bic prominence. A few years of Republican
rule sufced to make the term 'Hoosier" one
OF honor. Since then every Indianian has
been proud of it, though the Democracy have
done much, and are still doing what they can,
to drag it in the dirt. Four years of Morton
did more for the State than forty of Democ-
racy could have done. s.Better ffty wears
Of Europe than a cycle of Cathay." Yet
all during the war the Democratic party was
the most difficult thing he had to deal with.
He fought the Southern rebels with one hand
and the Indiana Democracy with the other
The honor and renown that he and his coad-
tutors and the brave soldiers in the field won
for the State were won in spite of the De-
mocracy. And so it has been from the begin
ming. The friends of progress, good govern
ment, clean politics and reform meet the De.
mocracy at every turn and have to fight them
inch by inch The principal business of the
Republican party in this State during the last
twenty-five years has been to repair the in
jury and counteract the disgrace inflicted bv
the Democracy.
And to-day, after years Of uninterrupted
Democratic rule, the State stands before the
country Inundated and disgraced. The ger
rymander, the Marion county frauds, the
forged tally-sheets, the attempt to overthrow
the fall election, the theft of the lieutenant
governorship, the revolutionary proceedings
in the Senate, the shocking revelations in the
State institutions the shortage of thousands
Of dollars in the southern prison, the State
Treasury empty and the State borrowing
money to meet current expenses, are but the
elimination Of Democratic methods, II 10
time for citizens of Indiana who have the
honor and welfare Of the State at heart to rise
IN their might and put an end to these things
/ The Democratic party must go.